Liverpool Empire Archives - Page 5 of 11

29Feb

By Andrew LeeNo Comments

North West

The Drifters Girl – Liverpool Empire

The Drifters Girl is the story of the R&B vocal group The Drifters, and the remarkable woman behind their success. The story follows the ever-changing line up of lead singers, backing singers, promoters, writers, and producers, with the one constant being the group’s robust manager, Faye Treadwell. It narrates how so many tried to cash in on The Drifters name, yet there can only ever really be one true ‘The Drifters.’ If, like me, you love going to the theatre to listen to great music, sang by quality singers, supported by a superb live band, with glamourous lighting and costumes, then this show is perfect for you. The singing was great throughout, and the inclusion of all of our favourite Drifters hits such as ‘Save the last dance for me’, ‘Saturday night at the moves’, and ‘Under ...

13Feb

By Manda ElizabethNo Comments

North West

Shrek The Musical – Liverpool Empire

Once upon a time, in a land far far away... or just down the M62 in Liverpool depending on your postcode. Shrek The Musical landed in The Empire Theatre just in time for half term. Boasting a cast of International and West end stars, Shrek is certainly not one to miss out on this week. Opening with strong choreography and vocals from the ensemble in “Story of My Life” this was certainly a settle into your seat's moment as you begin to see the story unfold. Shrek, who is played by Anthony Lawrence has a big job on his hands which is to confront Farquaad (played by James Gillan) and reclaim his swamp, unbeknownst to him that he is on a far bigger path of defeating a dragon and claiming the princess from her tower. Light work? Or so he thought before he met his noble stead... A personal...

24Jan

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

Pretty Woman – Liverpool Empire

It was opening night last night of Pretty Woman, a show with extremely limited tickets throughout its run so it was lovely to have been invited to do a review for this show. Upon arrival at the theatre and taking our seats we were made aware that there was a cast change for this week. The role of Vivian Ward was to be played by Elly Jay. Now I must admit I know of the film Pretty Woman, but I have never seen it. So, for those who do know, please bear with me while I explain. It's set in LA when Billionaire Edward Lewis (Oliver Savile) is about to shut down a company and make millions with his lawyer. He gets lost in his lawyer’s car and ends up meeting a lady of the night known as Vivian Ward (Elly Jay) Edward offers to pay for Vivian but not in the way you might think. He hires her to dri...

The Full Monty – Liverpool Empire Theatre

17Jan

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

The Full Monty – Liverpool Empire Theatre

Well, we have all probably seen the film – a bunch of middle -aged men – ex steel workers – who when the steel mills and factories close, are left broke, desperate and powerless. A story with its iconic scenes, music and humour that everyone – especially females – remembered - The Full Monty - when a bunch of men, for one night only, become cabaret strippers. So, how was this going to translate from screen to stage? I was intrigued to find out. The Liverpool Empire theatre was packed to the rafters – mostly women I have to say, and there was a deep breath of anticipation across the auditorium as the show started. A large steel construction, a scaffold frame that was a formidable centre piece, drew us into Sheffield’s former glory of theses skyline -consuming steel factories ...

15Jan

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Carmen – Liverpool Empire

Director and Producer Ellen Kent’s Carmen is carnal, captivating, and carefree in equal measure and with the close camaraderie of the company clear to see on stage, it is a joy to behold. Set in early 19th Century Seville, Carmen tells the story of the downfall of Don José (Davit Sumbadze) a naïve corporal who falls head over heels in love with Carmen (Natalia Matveeva), a seductive, free-spirited gypsy girl. The infatuated Don José abandons his childhood sweetheart, Micaela (Elena Dee), and neglects his military duties much to the annoyance of his senior officer Zuniga (Valeriu Cojocaru), only to lose the fickle Carmen to the glamorous toreador Escamillio (Iurie Gisca). Sung in its original French, with English surtitles provided by Victoria Bazalinchuk, the unfolding action on stag...

18Dec

By Hannah EsnoufNo Comments

North West

The Wizard of Oz – Liverpool Empire

Aston Merrygold as the Tin man and The Vivienne as the Wicked Witch of the West, star in a vibrant and colourful stage adaptation of the classic film. Transferred to the Empire from their stint in London’s West End Jeremy Sams version stays true to the innocence and magic of the original tale. With new songs, written and composed by longstanding musical theatre icons Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, friendship and fantasy were at the forefront. Full of flair, this production lived up to the expectation of the full crowd. Not only did the A-list names pay homage to their classic roles, they did not over play and stayed true to the production as a whole letting other cast members have their moments of too, of which there were many. Aviva Tulley’s Dorothy was understated but stoic. The Em...

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Liverpool Empire

14Nov

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

North West

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Liverpool Empire

If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you have probably read the Roald Dahl story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or at least watched one of the two films based on the book (team Gene Wilder over here!). It tells the story of Charlie Bucket, who comes from a poor family and never dreams of winning one of the five golden tickets to enter Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory – until it happens. We then get to go on a magical journey as Charlie and the other four golden ticket winners (and their parents) get to see the wonderous and sometimes scary, workings of Wonka’s factory. If you are used to the book or either film, then make sure you go into the musical with an open mind. Bar two songs from the 1971 film (The Candyma...

Jesus Christ Superstar – Liverpool Empire

24Oct

By Hannah EsnoufNo Comments

North West

Jesus Christ Superstar – Liverpool Empire

High expectation was felt amongst the sell-out crowd and this performance lived-up to and exceeded its title as a classic of British musical theatre. Tom Scutt (set and costume) and Drew Mconie (choreography) brought something new and exciting to this particular production. The industrial feel of the set, the paring back to bare metal really added to it and allowed those performing to shine and the multipurpose props were a savvy touch. Also, the movement elements of this piece were really impressive. Rugged, grounded and grungey would be the terms I would use, which brought a new take to the show to highlight the turmoil and obsessive themes of the story. All cast members gave their all in the physical demands of the routines which paid off, and their energy was felt right to the back ...

18Oct

By Emma LambeNo Comments

North West

Peter Pan Goes Wrong – Liverpool Empire

If you haven’t already heard of Mischief Productions and their work, then look them up, they’re brilliant. You can find some of their TV work on BBC also. Writers Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Sheilds do a fantastic job at making a beloved classic work as a slapstick comedy production. Think lights flickering, props being misplaced, set falling apart and performers being injured. This is the kind of show that you could watch with friends and family old and young and they’re sure to love it. The concept for Peter Pan Goes Wrong is just like the title says, Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society presents J M Barrie’s timeless classic Peter Pan and things don’t go quite to plan. The show officially begins as the audience are still taking their seats. With actors weaving in and out of...

13Sep

By Emma LambeNo Comments

North West

The Bodyguard – Liverpool Empire

Based on the iconic Warner Bros. 1992 film starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner this musical follows the same plot with a few more Whitney classics along the way. Former secret service agent Frank Farmer, is hired to protect global superstar Rachel Marron from an unknown stalker and falling for each other along the way. If you’re a fan of Whitney songs you’re bound to enjoy this. If there’s one way to get an audience’s attention it’s a loud gun shot to start the show with a literal bang! Once the audience have recovered from that excitement they are dazzled by the blinding lights by Mark Henderson where we see our superstar Rachel performing her opening number song. Full of energy and upbeat music, Australian Idol star, Emily Williams who plays our leading lady wows us with her vo...